Søren Aabye Kierkegaard

There are two kinds of geniuses. The characteristic of the one is roaring, but the lightning is meagre and rarely strikes; the other kind is characterized by reflection by which it constrains itself or restrains the roaring. But the lightning is all the more intense; with the speed and sureness of lightning it hits the selected particular points - and is fatal.

The case with most men is that they go out into life with one or another accidental characteristic of personality of which they say: Well, this is the way I am. I cannot do otherwise. Then the world gets to work on them and thus the majority of men are ground into conformity. In each generation a small part cling to their "I cannot do otherwise" and lose their minds. Finally there are a very few in each generation who in spite of all life's terrors cling with more and more inwardness to this "I cannot do otherwise". They are the geniuses. Their "I cannot do otherwise" is an infinite thought, for if one were to cling firmly to a finite thought, he would lose his mind.

Geniuses are like thunderstorms. They go against the wind, terrify people, cleanse the air.

Talent warms-up the given (as they say in cookery) and makes it apparent; genius brings something new. But our time lets talent pass for genius. They want to abolish the genius, deify the genius, and let talent forge ahead.

It is through woman that ideality is born into the world and - what were man without her! There is many a man who has become a genius through a woman, many a one a hero, many a one a poet, many a one even a saint; but he did not become a genius through the woman he married, for through her he only became a privy councillor; he did not become a hero through the woman he married, for through her he only became a general; he did not become a poet through the woman he married, for through her he only became a father; he did not become a saint through the woman he married, for he did not marry, and would have married but one - the one whom he did not marry; just as the others became a genius, became a hero, became a poet through the help of the woman they did not marry.

The genius differs from us men in being able to endure isolation, his rank as a genius is proportionate to his strength for enduring isolation, whereas we men are constantly in need of "the others," the herd; we die, or despair, if we are not reassured by being in the herd, of the same opinion as the herd.,

Genius never desires what does not exist.

Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.

Możliwości są bardziej przerażające niż rzeczywistość.

Są ludzie, którym ordery przynoszą zaszczyt i ludzie, którzy przynoszą zaszczyt orderom.

Nie zapominaj nigdy, że nie każdy, kto nie stracił rozumu, tym samym dowodzi, że go ma.

Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it.

Life must be lived forward, but can only be understood backwards.

Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forward.

There is nothing with which every man is so afraid as getting to know how enormously much he is capable of doing and becoming.

Life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced.

It seems essential, in relationships and all tasks, that we concentrate only on what is most significant and important.

Ludzie domagają się wolności słowa jako rekompensaty za wolność myślenia, której rzadko używają.

People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid.

Nieskończoność i wieczność stanowią największą i jedyną pewność.

Ludzie domagają się wolności słowa jako rekompensaty za wolność myślenia, której rzadko używają.

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.

Gdy tyran umiera, jego panowanie się kończy. Gdy umiera męczennik, jego rządy dopiero się rozpoczynają.

The tyrant dies and his reign is over, the matyr dies and his reign begins.